Cover wrapping and trimming machine



Jan. 31, 1967 w w U COVER WRAPPING AND TRIMMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR. WALTER W. PRUE BY I C ATTORNEYS Jan. 31,. 1967 w PRUE Q COVER WRAPPING AND TRIMMING MACHINE 3 Sheets-She et 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

ATTORNEYS Filed 1963 FIG 6 W. W. PRUE COVER WRAPPING AND TRIMMING MACHINE 3 Sheets- 5.

INVENTOR. WALTER W. PRUE ORNE United States Patent Ofifice 33%,861 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 3,300,891 COVER WRAPPING AND TRIMMING MACHINE Walter W. Prue, 331 Minot Ave., Auburn, Maine 04210 Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,893 11 Claims. (Cl. 12--49.1)

This invention comprises a machine for wrapping and trimming material such as upper leather or textile fabric in applying it as a covering to a heel or other body. Although not so limited in its field of use the machine may advantageously be employed in covering womens high heels having a thin waist and a top lift of small area. Such heels often require a covering of thin delicate sheet material. The machine of my invention is organized to trim such material and wrap its margins smoothly about the body of a heel or other article without wrinkles or puckers and without tearing or other damage to the cover.

My invention comprises a novel and very compact organization of the operating elements of the machine which is so organized as to facilitate the presentation of the work thereto and give the operator improved freedom of action. The invention includes as one important feature a two-part block with provision for individual adjustment of the parts with respect to the cooperating spindle whereby the wrap of the work about the spindle may be controlled in extent, pressure and location, thus adapting the machine for operation on work of various thickness and texture.

It will be understood that the rotary effect of the tool is to impart to any interposed stock substantially equal forward or feeding draft and also transverse or tensioning draft. It is these two effects that may be nicely and precisely balanced in the adjustment of the present machine. Excessive or unbalanced feeding draft is objectionable in that it tends to displace the cover material with respect to the body of the heel or unduly stretch and wrinkle it, although on the other hand a substantial tensioning draft is essential in the production of good work. Both these components of draft are supplied by the mechanism of the present machine in such a manner as to obviate the necessity of a driven wiper.

Another important feature of the invention resides in ,the provision of one or more oil reservoirs with connection for lubricating the work as it is engaged and advanced by the spindle. The operation of the machine especially in handling patent leather is greatly improved in speed and uniformity by this means. I

Another feature of the invention relates to the trimming knife which is given a novel location between the two parts of the block where it is effective without drag-on the work. The effective function of the knife is improved by causing it to enter a slit in the body of one of the block parts.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a traveling work contact surface for the block which eliminates or largely reduces friction of the work in following the contour of the block and also tends to increase the arc of wrapping contact of the work about the spindle.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of the machine in front elevation,

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the machine with the oil reservoirs and connections removed,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views on an enlarged scale showing the operating parts of the machine as seen from above and below,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding to FIG. 3, but with the addition of the lower block section,

FIG. 6 is a plan on an enlarged scale of the lower block part,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing the lower block section as provided with a traveling contact surface,

FIG. 9 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale of the upper block, and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view showing a block equipped with a modified form of contact surface.

In the drawings only sufficient portions of the frame appear as are required to support the operating elements of the machine. These include a spindle 10 carried by a shaft 10 arranged to rotate about a fixed vertical axis and a two-part block 20, 34 which has concave reentrant walls partially surrounding the spindle. The heel or other body is gauged vertically by the lower block 34 while the margin of its cover extends upwardly being drafted upwardly and over-wiped by the cooperative action of the spindle and blocks. Successful operation of the machine depends upon the precise adjustment of these elements for handling cover material or other work as required by variations in thickness, stretch or texture and these are conveniently provided in the machine herein described.

The lower end of the spindle is fluted and knurled and also provided with a circumferential groove to receive the blade of a trimming knife, all as described in my copending application Serial No. 220,748 filed August 30, 1962, now Patent No. 3,116,500.

In the machine of the present invention the spindle cooperates in fee-ding, drafting and over-wiping the work with the concave reentrant walls of two superposed blocks 20 and 34. The upper block 29 having the concave wall 21 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is clamped to the under face of a transversely extending arm 22 having a rearwardly extending bell crank arm 23 pivotally mounted to rock about a vertical pin 24 having a knurled head 25.

The arm 23 has at its rear end a transverse arm 26 from which projects a rearwardly extending pin 27. This is connected by a tension spring 28 to the end of a thread ed spindle 29 having a knurled nut 30. The spindle passes through a fixed lug 13 which projects laterally from a bracket or slide 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the nut bears against the lug. It will be seen therefore that the nut 30 and spring 23 hold the block 20 in predetermined hut adjustable position with respect to the spindle 10. The nut 30 acts as means for adjusting the tension of the spring 28. A stop screw 31 positively determines the initial position of the block while the spring 28 permits it to yield from the spindle to accommodate the passage of thick portions of the work.

The blocks 20 and 34 may be of nylon, Teflon or other material having a low coefficient of friction. The block 20 is shown as clamped to the arm 22 by an angle piece 32 secured in place by a screw 33 which is threaded into the arm 23. By loosening the screw 33 and releasing the clamping effect of the angle piece the block 20 may be adjusted heightwise of the spindle.

The lower block 34 is adjustably mounted in an angle bracket 35, being clamped against a shoulder in the bracket by a washer and screw 36. The block 34 has a concave reentrant wall registering exactly or approximately with the concave wall 21 of the upper block. It may be adjusted by loosening the screw 36 and advancing or retracting the block. The angle bracket 35 is adjustably secured by a bolt 37 to a portion of the machine frame independently of the parts of the machine carrying the block 20.

The block 20 and the arms 22, 23, 26 are mounted upon an elongated slide or bracket member having a T- 3 shaped head 11 which is adjustably secured to the machine frame by bolts 11'. The bracket has a vertically extending shank portion 12 which carries the lug 13 above mentioned and terminates in a beveled end portion marked 14 in FIG. 2. The lower portion of the bracket has a longitudinal slot 15 and a transverse clamping screw 16. In its end face the bracket has transverse ways for the trimming knife 17, best shown in FIG. 4. By loosening the screw 16 the knife may be adjusted so that its blade enters the circumferential groove of the spindle and set in position by tightening the screw 16. At the same time the knife blade should enter the slit 20' in the block 20 as shown in FIG. 9.

An oil reservoir 40 is secured to the left side of the machine and provided with a connecting tube 42 which leads to a point adjacent the knurled end of the spindle as indicated in FIG. 2. A second oil reservoir 50 is secured to the right side of the machine and provided with a tube 52 which extends into position adjacent to the outer surface of the Work as it reaches the spindle. In the end of the tube 50 is provided a wick by which lubricating oil is applied to the work. The wick-holding end of the tube 52 is adjustably retained in position by an angle bracket 53 secured by a knurled head screw 54 to the bracket 35, as shown in FIG. 1.

A stripping finger 43 which serves to clean the spindle of trimmed shreds is pivotally mounted upon a stud 44 set in the machine frame. A tension spring 45 tends to rock the finger toward the spindle While its position is adjustably determined by a set screw 46 threaded into the finger and bearing on a portion of the frame. The finger 43 has a longitudinal channel, indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2, in its inner face to accommodate the delivery end of the oil tube 42.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a lower block 34' is shown as having a peripheral guideway in which runs an endless anti-friction band 55. This may be formed of nylon or other smooth plastic or textile material, and being freely movable with the work it is effective in reducing the friction and drag thereof in passing through the machine.

A modification of this structure is shown FIG. 10 where the block is composed of superposed parts 60 and 61 having an undercut peripheral guideway in which runs an endless band having a cover strip 62 and T-shaped lugs 63 which fit in the guideway and cause the band to follow the contour of the two-part block.

The fluted and knurled spindle 10 cooperates with the recessed blocks 20 and 34 in the same manner as do the corresponding parts described in my prior United States Patent No. 3,116,500. The heel cover comes to the operator in partially attached condition so that the margin may be entered directly between the spindle and the blocks. The fluted and knurled surface of the spindle engages the interposed margin, presses it against the concave surfaces of the blocks and so imparts a forward feeding draft with a component of upward tension that causes the heel cover to lie smoothly on the body of the heel.

The provision of a traveling anti-friction band to form a concave surface cooperating with the spindle 10 is an important feature of the invention. It improves the operation of the machine by eliminating frictional drag when it would otherwise retard the desired draft of the work. Thus the desired overdraft may be imparted to a delicate covering material with less strain and possible damage than heretofore.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coverwrapping machine comprising a spindle and a recessed two-part block cooperating to draft and over-wipe the margins of a cover, and means for holding one of the block parts in position adjacent to the spindle while permitting it to yield pivotally with respect to the other part about an axis located parallel to and at one side of the spindle, thereby providing for fine adjustment of the draft pressure of the spindle and block upon interposed work.

2. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spindle and separately mounted and individually adjustable blocks having concave recesses held in substantial registration and having walls partially surrounding the spindle whereby the spindle engages interposed work in rotary contact.

3. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spinthe and superposed blocks of plastic material having concave recesses partially surrounding the spindle, and means for adjusting the relative position of the said blocks, there'- by providing for fine adjustment of the draft pressure of the spindle and block upon interposed Work.

4. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spindle, a cooperating block having a concave recess through which th spindle passes in rotary contact with interposed work, and means for supplying oil to work passing between the spindle and th block.

5. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spindle, a cooperating block having a concave recess through which the spindle passes in rotary contact with interposed work, and a clearing finger cooperating with the spindle and having a passage therein for supplying oil to work passing between the spindle and block.

6. A cover wrapping machine as described in claim 5, further characterized in that the clearing finger is pivotally mounted for adjustment toward and from the spindle and has in one side a longitudinal channel opening toward the spindle.

7. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spindle, a cooperating block having a concave recess receiving the spindle and wherein the spindle engages the work in rotary contact, and oil reservoirs having connections leading toward opposite sides of the spindle adjacent the said block.

8. A cover wrapping machine comprising in combination a rotary spindle, a block having a concave wall partially surrounding the spindle and wherein the spindle engages the work in rotary contact, and means provid-' ing a freely traveling contact surface interposed between the spindle and said concave wall.

9. A cover wrapping machine as described in claim 8, further characterized in that the means providing said traveling contact surface comprises an endless band running in an undercut guidew-ay extending about the contour of the block.

10. A cover wrapping machine comprising a rotary spindle, superposed blocks having concave wall sections partially enclosing the spindle and wherein the spindle engages the work in rotary contact, means mounting one of said blocks for yielding adjustment with respect to the spindle about an external axis, and means for independently mounting the other block for adjustment height-wise of the spindle.

11. A cover wrapping machine as described in claim 10, further characterized in that a trimming knife extends transversely toward the spindle in substantially the plane of separation between the two blocks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,241,230 5/1941 Wilmoth ll22l2 2,643,473 6/1953 Newnham 388 2,805,431 9/1957 Schwabe 128.3 2,848,967 8/1958 Nicolay 112-256 3,006,004 8/1961 Prue 12-24.5 3,116,500 1/1964 Prue 1249.1

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner. 

1. A COVER WRAPPING MACHINE COMPRISING A SPINDLE AND A RECESSED TWO-PART BLOCK COOPERATING TO DRAFT AND OVER-WIPE THE MARGINS OF A COVER, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING ONE OF THE BLOCK PARTS IN POSITION ADJACENT TO THE SPINDLE WHILE PERMITTING IT TO YIELD PIVOTALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER PART ABOUT AN AXIS LOCATED PARALLEL TO AND AT ONE SIDE OF THE SPINDLE, THEREBY PROVIDING FOR FINE ADJUSTMENT OF THE DRAFT PRESSURE OF THE SPINDLE AND BLOCK UPON INTERPOSED WORK. 